MOST passengers at Manchester Airport could see why it had been voted the best in the country.

Annette Sidebottom, from Ashton under Lyne, who had brought her two grandchildren, Sam, two, and four-year-old Jessica, to the airport for the first time, said: "I like T1 the best because it's got more shops and restaurants. This is the first time they've seen the airport and they obviously like it."

Annette's daughter Lynette said: "I think it's great. I used to fly an awful lot out of here, maybe three or four times a year."

Annette's husband David, 58, said: "The service is always quite good and it's always nice and clean. We fly out of here twice a year. It's grown a lot bigger over the years."

John Wigmore, from south Yorkshire, said: "It's the smoothest check-in I've ever had and the people have been very helpful. A few years ago we flew out of Birmingham and it was very hectic. At Leeds-Bradford airport there was no one to assist at all. I suppose it may have changed since then."

Karen Pickles, from the Wirral, who was visiting the Concorde on permanent display at the airport with her 19-month-old-son Christopher, said: "T1 is definitely the best of the three, especially from a family viewpoint. You can have something to east and it's clean. There's plenty of variety of food if you are waiting to go somewhere. There's something for mums and dads and granddads. There's something for everybody."

Karen's husband John, a pilot for KLM, said: "I think for all the profits they make they could make sure the travelator in the Skywalk works. There's one section of it that's broken down."

Alison Gray, also from the Wirral, who was with her 13-year-old son Andrew, said: "I'm very impressed with it. There's plenty going on."

Ian Dowson, 52, from Blackpool, who had just returned from Jersey with his wife Elaine, said: "The facilities are smashing, the staff are great. We fly out of here six or eight times a year. But I have to say the baggage handling leaves a lot to be desired. On a few occasions we have flown in and had to wait ages for our bags. At least twice we had to wait two-and-a-half hours. The other thing that could do with improving is the number of seats in the departures hall in Terminal 1. There's none at check-in and it's a problem if you are elderly."